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In my town I can get homes built in the 70's which have better construction quality and more finished square footage for the same price as today's 'new constructions' ... basically a 1700 finished square foot home in (my opinion) the better, more centrally located part of town can be had for similar prices to a new 1025 square foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath "spec home" often even without a basement, only a crawl space. To me it's a no brainer.
Reading a book on home inspection is as useful as knowing what 'fuel trim' and 'fault codes' are on a OTB reader for a car though. Check to make sure the wiring is not aluminum, get up in the attic to check for leaks, things of that sort.
One plus about new construction is that it's generally better insulated and is much more energy efficient, if nothing else, due to new building codes.
One plus about new construction is that it's generally better insulated and is much more energy efficient, if nothing else, due to new building codes.
Yes. And we are much better at controlling air infiltration than in the past.
Overall, Tyvek house wrap, sealing of all utility penetrations, improved windows, etc, make a huge difference.
When I see someone talking about utility bills that are much lower than ours, they usually have a much newer home.
Someone once told me, "You own the home, but you "rent" the utilities. And that payment never goes away."
For the first time buyers buying a new home is exciting. But, as you look for more options you confuse about that building home is good or buying home is better. Both have different pros and cons like if you are building your own home then you will get discounts on material, everything is new, annual savings etc. and cons will be construction loan, legal considerations and temporary housing etc. On the other side if you are planning to buy a house then the pros will be opportunity to flip your home, you know the neighborhood, ability to move quickly, buy according to your available budget etc. And, cons will be upgrade costs, higher home insurance, stuck with layout etc.
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You have to "rent" the schools, cops, fire department, street lights, streets, etc.!
